Pursuing Lead/District Nurse Position

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Dec 13, 2018

It will never happen here but I would. (we are a very small district) I think it would be cool to really have an impact on policy and the overall health of the district.

Guests · Dec 13, 2018

In my district where I live, the Lead Nurse has 100% admin duties and zero patient contact, so for me, that makes the position a no go. If you really thrive in a purely administrative position, it is a great job and pays fairly well (in my district).

Eleven011 · Dec 13, 2018

There isn't a position like that in my area, we are a one nurse/one school district. But I would imagine it would depend on which you liked to do better - the day to day interactions with the students, or the administrative side of it.

LikeTheDeadSea, MSN, RN · Dec 13, 2018

There are districts where I live where the person in that roll is still in a Health Office all day with those duties additionally - some districts with an additional staff member in the office and some districts with no additional person. Some districts that person has an office up in administration.

Pay increase is also varied among the districts - some make the extra responsibilities worth it, and others not so much.

I feel like this roll varies as much as our office set ups do!

iggywench, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2018

I don't think it would be something I would ever be interested in. Our Lead Nurse is responsible for supervising nurses at 63 schools, hiring nurses and subs, and ensuring that policies and procedures are being followed. Her job is 100% admin, and she seems to work about 50 hours per week. There is a small pay increase, but not enough for me to consider it. That is way too much responsibility for me!

kidzcare · Dec 13, 2018

It is not something I would want at this time in my life. It's a 12 month position which I am not ready for. I like my summers so I can be off with my kids and go to camp. Plus, in this district, it seems like such a headache. Maybe I would like it in a smaller district when my kids are grown. I'd also need another certification in administration. I don't know if all districts require it but is required in my current district.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2018

Someone pretty much has to die or get fired for something EGREGIOUS before a position opens up here in the NTX. If you like managing people instead of students, it's a good gig, I think.

I have observed that a lot of success in Health Office Director or whatever that's called lies in the relationship that person has with the school board. It is very political.

pedi_nurse · Dec 13, 2018

Someone pretty much has to die or get fired for something EGREGIOUS before a position opens up here in the NTX. If you like managing people instead of students, it's a good gig, I think.
I have observed that a lot of success in Health Office Director or whatever that's called lies in the relationship that person has with the school board. It is very political.

TRUTH. I'm in NTX and had an awful health services director who was constantly not doing her job correctly (won't get into it, but for example, when I first started she told me if I was missing a vaccine on a record I could just guess at what date they got it).

I used to think I would want to do the job, but I'd rather improve my clinical skills than my admin skills.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2018

TRUTH. I(won't get into it, but for example, when I first started she told me if I was missing a vaccine on a record I could just guess at what date they got it).

Sweet baby Moses....

pedi_nurse · Dec 14, 2018

Sweet baby Moses....

YEP. And this was a nurse, mind you, in case anybody thinks it's just administrators who don't understand health care.

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 18, 2018

I am in a large district, so we have a Nursing Director and 2 nurse supervisors. At one time I thought maybe I would like to do a nurse supervisor job, but now, NO WAY! First off it is an all year around job, not based on school calendar like the school nurse hobs are, second, WAY too much work and back and forth between schools and compliance stuff. Also, our supervisors do not train new nurses, the nurses are assigned with more experienced nurses to train them, so maybe look into that in your district.